


The City on the Dock

by hobbit_hedgehog



Series: HQBB Word War Ficlets [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ficlet, M/M, Merman!Akaashi, One Shot, Painter!Oikawa, Tentacles, i guess, idk Akaashi is part octopus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 11:20:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11401464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbit_hedgehog/pseuds/hobbit_hedgehog
Summary: The glittering lights of the City on the Docks attracted Keiji like a moth to flame.





	The City on the Dock

**Author's Note:**

> Hey team! This is the first fic in my collection of ficlets from the Haikyuu Big Bang word wars server. I had never written an AkaOi fic before so this was fun. There will be more in the series, so check those out too!

The glittering lights of the City on the Docks attracted Keiji like a moth to flame.  A siren song of lights, Keiji was drawn back night after night, the medley of colors dancing on the water a soothing distraction.  Keiji would swim to just under the furthest, most isolated dock to watch the City on the Docks and its odd, two-legged inhabitants.  With one tentacle wrapped around the dock for stability, he would observe. 

The two men walking arm in arm, passing a white and tan treat between the two of them.  A small child with a red balloon dragging a woman behind them, pointing and screeching in a way that grated on Keiji's nerves.  The lone man with the white canvas and the box of paints stationed on the dock next to Keiji's.  This was the man Keiji like to watch the most.

The man was taller than most of the other human's had seen.  His hair was side-swept and tousled, but it looked intentional.  His eyes, a similar shade of brown, were kind, but perceptive.  He too was an observer.  He wore some sort of wrapping on his leg, a sign of some sort of injury.  He had worn it every time Keiji had seen him sitting on the dock, giving Keiji no clues as to how recent the injury was.  If Keiji were honest, this man was his favorite subject.

The man had been coming to the dock for a few weeks.  The first time, he had been empty-handed.  He had stood at the edge of the dock, watching as the sun set in the west.  He had stood there for hours as darkness fell around him, the lights of the City on the Docks backlighting the man like a halo.  Keiji had been entranced, the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch clouding his judgment.  The man had left soon after, and Keiji had found himself releasing unknown tension from his shoulders.  Soon it became part of Keiji's routine to watch the man has he brought a canvas and paints to the dock, working long after the sun had set and the lights of the City on the Docks had come to life.  Each time the man would work in silence and Keiji would watch from the distance, longing to reach out, to touch. 

That night was no exception.  Keiji wrapped one tentacle around the leg of the dock, his head just above the surface of the water.  He watched as the man set up in his usual spot.  He sat down upon his stool, spending a few minutes gingerly rubbing his knee before starting.  Keiji was entranced, so much that it took him completely by surprise when the man addressed him.

"I can see you down there," the man called out, not looking up from his canvas.  "You're not as sneaky as you think you are."

Keiji almost bolted in that instance, his eyes wide with shock.

"You come around here often," the man continued, his eyes flicking briefly towards Keiji before returning to the canvas.  "Often enough that I feel like I should add you to my painting."

"Your… painting?" Keiji asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Ah, he speaks!" the artist crowed.  "I was worried that you couldn't."

Keiji frowned.  "I can speak just fine."

"That's good, otherwise this would be one boring conversation," the artist said.  He turned to fully face Keiji and flashed him a smile that made Keiji's insides squirm a bit.  "My name is Oikawa Tooru.  It's nice to finally meet you."

Keiji frowned a bit; this meeting was not a part of his routine.

"Do you have a name, or do I need to make one up for you?" Oikawa asked.

Keiji sank into the water, his eyes just barely above the surface as he glared at Oikawa.

"Okay, we'll work up to familiarity," Oikawa said with a wide grin. "Can you leave the water, or are you stuck down there?"

In response, Keiji poked one black tentacle above the water and gave it a quick wave.  He was immensely pleased that Oikawa dropped his paint brush in surprise.

"Well, that answers that question," Oikawa murmured as he slumped back onto his stool.

Keiji smiled to himself; maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
